CLI Reference

CLI reference

The command is lanyard, with the short alias lny. Via npm without installing, it is npx lanyard-cli. See Installation for how to get it.

• lanyard with no arguments opens the desktop app.
• lanyard <command> --help shows every option of a command.
• --json on any command prints machine-readable output.

Key arguments (<key>) accept a file name in ~/.ssh (id_ed25519_work), a ~/… path, or an absolute path.

Accounts

Command	What it does
lanyard status	The active account for every provider that has accounts, and the global git identity.
lanyard accounts list [provider]	List accounts.
lanyard accounts add <provider> <name> …	Add an account (options below).
lanyard accounts edit <provider> <name> …	--rename, --key, --git-name, --git-email, --[no-]set-git-identity.
lanyard accounts rm <provider> <name>	Remove an account. --delete-key also moves its key to the trash if nothing else uses it.
lanyard use <provider> [name]	Switch the active account. --off deactivates.
lanyard test [provider] [name]	ssh -T the active accounts. --all tests every account.
lanyard url <provider> <name> <repoUrl>	Print a clone URL that uses the account's alias host.
lanyard repo <provider> <name> [dir]	Point a repository at the account. -r <remote> (default origin), --no-identity.

accounts add options:

Option	Meaning
-g, --generate	Generate a new key for the account.
-t, --type <type>	Key type for --generate: ed25519 (default), rsa, ecdsa.
-N, --passphrase <phrase>	Passphrase for --generate.
-k, --key <key>	Use an existing key instead.
--git-name <name>	Required. user.name for commits made as this account.
--git-email <email>	Required. user.email for commits; also the key comment.
--set-git-identity	Set the global git identity whenever this account becomes active.
--activate	Make it the active account now.

Examples:

lanyard accounts add github work --generate --git-name "Jane Doe" --git-email jane@acme.example --set-git-identity
lanyard accounts add github personal --key ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 --git-name "Jane Doe" --git-email jane@example.com
lanyard use github personal
git clone $(lanyard url github work https://github.com/acme/app)

Providers

Command	What it does
lanyard providers list	Built-in and custom providers.
lanyard providers add <id> …	Add a custom provider: --host (required), --name, --port, --user, --keys-url.
lanyard providers rm <id>	Remove a custom provider (remove its accounts first).

Hosts

Command	What it does
lanyard hosts list	Every Host entry.
lanyard hosts show <alias>	Print one host block.
lanyard hosts add <alias> …	Add a host (options below).
lanyard hosts edit <alias> …	Change only the given options; --unset <Key…> removes options.
lanyard hosts rm <alias>	Remove a host.
lanyard hosts key <alias> [key]	Show or switch the key a host uses. --default goes back to SSH's default keys.
lanyard hosts test <alias>	Try a non-interactive login.
lanyard hosts resolve <alias>	The effective settings SSH will use (ssh -G).
lanyard connect <alias> [ssh args…]	Open an SSH session (alias c).

hosts add / hosts edit options: -H, --hostname, -u, --user, -p, --port, -k, --key, -J, --proxy-jump, --forward-agent yes|no, -o, --option Key=Value (repeatable), --comment.

Keys

Command	What it does
lanyard keys list	Key pairs in ~/.ssh.
lanyard keys gen <name>	Generate a key: -t, -b <bits>, -C <comment>, -N <passphrase>.
lanyard keys pub <key>	Print the public key.
lanyard keys passwd <key>	Change the passphrase (asks interactively).
lanyard keys rm <key>	Move the key pair to ~/.lanyard/trash.
lanyard keys fix-perms <key>	Make the private key readable only by you.

ssh-agent

Command	What it does
lanyard agent list	Loaded keys.
lanyard agent add <key>	Load a key (asks for its passphrase if it has one).
lanyard agent rm <key>	Unload a key.
lanyard agent clear	Unload every key.

Known hosts

Command	What it does
lanyard known-hosts list [search]	Entries, optionally filtered (alias kh).
lanyard known-hosts scan <host>	Fetch a server's host keys and show fingerprints. -p <port>, --trust to add them.
lanyard known-hosts rm <host>	Forget every key of a host, including hashed entries.

Backups and config

Command	What it does
lanyard backups list	Backups, newest first.
lanyard backups show <id>	Print a backup.
lanyard backups restore <id>	Restore it (the current file is backed up first).
lanyard config path	Every path Lanyard uses.
lanyard config validate	Ask OpenSSH whether ~/.ssh/config parses.
lanyard config sync	Regenerate the managed section from your saved accounts.
lanyard gui	Open the desktop app (alias open).

Environment variables

Variable	Effect
LANYARD_SSH_DIR	Use this folder instead of ~/.ssh (handy for experiments and tests).
LANYARD_HOME	Use this folder instead of ~/.lanyard.
NO_COLOR	Turn off coloured output.